Walking beam furnaces are known for providing stepwise transport of a product through the furnace by cyclic movement of one or more movable beams which are part of the furnace hearth. It is often desired to remove the beams from the furnace for maintenance and repair of the walking beam structure. Removal of the beams also provides access to the furnace arch, furnace walls and heaters from inside of the furnace chamber, which, without beam removal, might require removal of the arch. Beam removal for access to the furnace interior is especially advantageous in furnaces of substantial length, typically 50-100 feet. In furnaces of conventional construction, removal of the beams can be a tedious and time consuming procedure and can result in a considerable period of down-time for the furnace. Moreover, in multiple beam furnaces, each of the beams must be separately disassembled and removed.